Liora Schultz

I am an Associate Professor in Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Director of the Pediatric Immunotherapy Program at Columbia University. My work focuses on advancing immune therapies (CAR T cells) for children with cancer. I recently transitioned from Stanford University (2013–2025), where I led early first-in-human CAR T cell trials and helped deliver over 250 CAR-therapies to children with advanced cancer. Recognizing a major gap in data sharing, I founded the Pediatric Real-world CAR Consortium, a collaboration of over 50 pediatric oncology centers that enables large-scale data and sample sharing. Through this effort, we have identified predictors of survival and toxicity, modifiable treatment factors that impact survival, and informed international clinical trials. Given the recent approval of CAR T cells, long-term outcomes remain poorly understood. Our next goal is to study survivorship, late effects, and strategies to improve cure rates while reducing toxicity.